


Glad I Ran Into You

by Some_Impossible_Fairytale



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: AU/ AH, Accidental Relationship, Alternate Universe - College/University, Caroline needs to work on her dancing, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Mild Language, Stefan is not impressed, mosh pit encounters, sassy flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 19:13:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10367481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Some_Impossible_Fairytale/pseuds/Some_Impossible_Fairytale
Summary: For Klaus Mikaelson, getting his nose smashed in was an vast improvement on his evening. But that might be something to do with the enthusiastic blonde responsible.Based on the prompt ‘I broke your nose in the mosh-pit, sorry’





	1. Chapter 1

 

“Shit, Shit, Fuck, Shit, fucking –“ Caroline swore vehemently as the surge of several people through the Emergency department’s doors jostled her grip on the stranger’s –Klaus’ – nose and the veritable loo roll of tissue she has shoved against his nostrils . They’d had a rushed introduction when she had downright demanded to escort him to the hospital and enlisted the girls to bungle him into the car.

“For a lovely girl, you’ve got a very dirty mouth” Klaus noted nasally with a wry smile. Even in what must be excruciating pain he has dimples. Out of the two of them why couldn’t she have been the one to defy physics tonight?! For someone who’d just had his face smashed in Caroline couldn’t understand how he could be so chipper about the whole experience. He looked like someone out of a disaster movie; the Lead Male -  all sweaty, streaks of blood everywhere and still someone you’d want to get hot and heavy with as the world collapses around you.

“Yes” she snaps back reflexively, forgetting that before this they were perfect strangers and potential one-night stand material. Now they’re awkward acquaintances who’ll be each other’s you’ll-never-believe-what-happened-to-me-that-one-time bar-side stories. Caroline too looks the worse for wear from the night’s events. But whereas Klaus is the guy who walks into the sunset, she on the other hand looks like the typical First Victim – she caught sight of herself in the bathroom mirror when she’d made a run for fresh supplies in the nearest one. White as sheet, sweaty, hair  damp and frizzy, sticking up everywhere, her mascara’s begun to blot unattractively under her eyes, Klaus’ blood marring the white band tee she’d been wearing and barefoot. If her heel hadn’t snapped in the middle of the mosh pit this whole thing would have never happened. She’d been dancing quite happily with her friends when one wrong jive had sent her careening out of action. She’d flailed around and in a desperate bid to regain her balance her arm had bent forward, leaving her elbow a prime missile when that attempt failed and instead of falling forward she went straight backwards into the attractive face of one Klaus Mikaelson.

Like she’d observed, the bastard was not only pretty but also suave and remarkably chilled out about the fact that a complete stranger had genuinely smashed his face in. Maybe it’s a British thing? Oh, had she mentioned he’s British? As if she wasn’t cursing enough already she’s missed out on a British guy? Like hello, welcome to the country, here let me give you a Hurts Donut free of charge.

“I haven’t had a Hurts Donut since middle school. From a lady at least”

And she’d said that last bit out loud. Please let the floor become a sympathetic sentient being and swallow her up. She doesn’t even have the comfort of her friends to share Significant Glances with because Enzo had driven Elena and Bonnie home. Quelle point?

“Sorry, sorry for this whole mess, I blame Katherine – or I _would_ blame Katherine if she hadn’t slunk off with that guy for post-concert sex” she apologised conversationally as they manoeuvred themselves into adjoining chairs, balancing clipboards. “ _Sorry_ ” This last apology came more emphatically as Caroline flumped down into her own chair before Klaus was ready, beaten by the adrenalin that was by now leaving her system and aching arches and the fact that it was near three in the morning.

“Not at all” he managed gallantly, with a smile that was more a wince than anything else. She still hadn’t let go of his nose through a half an hour car drive and an hour and half going on two wait for a doctor.  “The bumbling is charmingly enticing I assure you. Adds to the overall attractiveness of the perpetrator.”

Fuck who spoke like that, especially at three in the morning?! Hang on a second. Charmingly enticing. Attractiveness. Lovely girl too if she thought back a minute. Holy God, Banged Up and British was _flirting_ with her. Her, Caroline Forbes. _Thank you Jesus._ He’s staring at her with those impossibly blue eyes of his, flecked with grey like the churning sea. _Daring_ , she thinks, _inviting_ says Katherine in her head. And Caroline’s meant to be the enticing one. They’re leaning in, conspiratorially, foreheads almost touching despite her hand in the way. 

The soft yelp of pain breaks the moment and Caroline realises with shame that her moment of realisation had caused her fingers to tighten over the damaged bone of Klaus’ poor nose. “I know, I know” he mutters softly before she can “you’re sorry”

Caroline nods mutely. _Well she is._

They chat for a little bit longer, and Caroline finally relinquishes her grasp on his now purple – blackish looking extremity in order to complete the paperwork. How it’s possible to look that sexy and brooding in a stained Henley, leather jacket and plain black jeans whilst also dealing with snail trails of fresh blood, an unmistakeable sheen of sweat and florescent lighting is beyond her.

After what seems like an age of silence, the doctor is finally ready to see them. Somehow, after letting go of his nose, Caroline and Klaus have ended up holding hands. It must have happened when Klaus absent-mindedly reached up to rub his nose (which was now tingling with the pain) and hissed sharply. She’d grabbed his other hand automatically, blonde curls swinging as she leaned round to stare concernedly into his eyes, the unanswered question hanging between them.

Paired with the unasked questions, this was turning out to be quite the night thought Klaus bitterly as a not half bad looking brunette in a lab-coat approached them and introduced herself as Dr. Meredith Fell.

“Mr. Mikaelson? Consultation Room 4 is free now so we can take a look at that nose of yours. If you and your girlfriend would like to follow me we’ll get started?” she barely glances at Caroline, though her tone is polite and professional enough that no complaint could be raised.

“OH! Oh no, I’m not his girlfriend” Caroline corrects Dr. Fell from beside him, blushing furiously. Though she appears to have forgotten to unlink their fingers and Klaus is in no mood to prompt this already flighty beauty. He’d only gone to that concert because Rebekah had begged him because Freya was in town and due to her schedule conflicting with his it was unlikely the first and third Mikaelson would see each other outside of the concert. Six tequila sunrises, four sex on the beach, 7 pornstars and a unknown amount of tequila later they’d been in the centre of the mosh pit and he’d been about to hail the three of them cab when Caroline had appeared in his path. Quite literally. This is genuinely the highlight of his evening and he has no desire to disrupt the chemistry.  

Dr. Fell quirks an eyebrow at Caroline’s statement, clearly wondering why an uninvolved girl is holding her patient’s hand and standing waiting to follow them to the consultation room. “I’m the one who hit him” Caroline admits before realising how that sounds and shouting brassily “BY ACCIDENT”

She’s kept hold of his hand throughout. The one pleasant thing about this experience is that Caroline is a very tactile person. Whether that’s because she’s a little drunk or whether it’s hopefully just who she is as a person Klaus intends to find out over breakfast.

“She fell.” He supplies automatically. “Little harm and no foul. Besides I admire a woman who can make an entrance” he winks, she blushes again and Dr. Fell tells herself that Alaric owes her more than one fucking drink for taking his Friday night Emergency shift.

The examination is thorough and obvious, a broken nose. As Dr. Fell sets about patching Klaus up Caroline continues her pursuit of redemption by distracting him. They talk about the band, the set, the mosh pit – here Dr. Fell tuts something that sounds a lot like ‘Typical’. From there they move onto her friends and Klaus family. Caroline tells him how she’s studying Journalism at the city college, Elena’s interning at (thankfully) the other hospital, Bonnie’s focus on Witchcraft and the role of women in History and Enzo managing to juggle his music and the bar he runs with Elena’s boyfriend Damon. How sometimes she feels like she gets along with Elena’s bitchy older sister Katherine than the girl she’s known since she could crawl. How Damon says she gets a little judgy and yet it’s Bonnie who’s giving her crap for taking Journalism. How she can’t stand Damon but Enzo is one of the most stable people in her life. In turn Klaus explains his latest theme for a gallery show he’s got coming up {Hot British, Artist – this night is oddly working out in Caroline’s favour] and how he’s not sure how to take his sister Freya’s flying visit. They’re very fond of each other but she’s always been a Daddy’s girl whereas he ‘hates the mad bastard with the passion of a thousand suns’. How he’s pretty clear she’s here to bring him into the family business (holy crap she hurt one of the heirs to _the_ Mikaelson family, the richest, most powerful family in Chicago). How Rebekah, their baby sister had dragged them to this concert as a bonding exercise and he’d actually thought they were making progress.

“Sorry I interrupted things for you” she says but Klaus only smiles around Dr. Fell’s careful hands and says his night had unexpectedly gone from strength to strength. She shouldn’t be, but Caroline is sitting on the bed with Klaus, holding his hand still. Once she’d given it to him, he’d refused to relinquish it and Dr. Fell’s too glad to have him holding still to tell either of them off for it.

They’re soon finished – Dr. Fell, bless her, gives them both lollipops – which Caroline is way too enthusiastic about but hey she’s drunk and tired and she’s spent her evening in the company of an exceptionally hot guy and now she gets _sugar._ She rips the wrapper of the strawberry flavoured and licks at eagerly for a minute before sticking it in her mouth and swirling it round by the stem to get rid of the taste of alcohol. She doesn’t realise quite how enthusiastic she’s being until she catches sight of Klaus, still holding his yellow lolly, looking like he’s swallowed his tongue. “Um.”

They’re standing outside the hospital doors, about to start walking down the street to the reassuring glow of the taxi rank. All that effort and Caroline had forgotten to text Enzo to come pick them up, so instead Caroline’s going to have to fork out for a taxi. She just hopes Klaus doesn’t live on the other side of the city to her, she really doesn’t want to have to catch the L at this time of night. Or morning. Whatever.

“I’m really glad I ran into you”

“Would you like to run into me later this morning for breakfast to make up for my tragic injury that occurred during it?”

“Pretty sure that’s blackmail”  she accuses but she’s smiling.

“Extortion,” he corrects with a wicked smirk she’s coming to love “You’re paying”

Caroline juts out her free arms elbow and taps it. She has to use the back of his hand because he’s got hold of her hand again. “I will use this” she mock threatens but that only makes him laugh. His eyes shutter in pain after a second “Dirty tactics” he says weakly.

“Look who’s talking!” she shoots back, hitting her stride on the flirting. Klaus uses their joint hands to pull her closer, so that their foreheads are touching. He strokes a hand through the disarray of her silky curls and she listens to his breathing even out.

Then from somewhere behind them, someone coughs.

Standing, watching them leaning against the side of a large black SUV with a mixture of bemused curiosity and resigned fatigue is-

“Stefan?” Caroline and Klaus say at the same time. They stare at each other wide eyed at the evident unknown mutual friend.

“You know Stefan?”

“Yeah” Caroline tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, nodding at the man in question. “He’s Damon’s brother. How’d you know-“

“He’s dating my sister Rebekah” Klaus answers. Caroline had known that Stefan had a girlfriend named Rebekah but he’d never mentioned her last name was Mikaelson.

“And he’s real confused” Stefan speaks up. “Rebekah called me a bit frantically. Said you’d gotten attacked at the concert and headed to the hospital. She asked me to pick you up and bring you home”

“Well I was actually about to kiss her before you rudely interrupted, mate so could you just give us a minute? I need to put Caroline in a cab” Stefan raises his eyebrow and tells them not to be too long please because if he’s going to get yelled at by Rebekah, Klaus will definitely be there to partake in the shame before walking round to the drivers side and getting in.

“If we get in the back of the car we can make out” Caroline pointed out.

“Oh Caroline Forbes I am most definitely glad I ran into you” he grins at the way she’s easily taken up with his own line of thinking.

“Technically I ran into you”

“Semantics”

“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WILL YOU TWO STOP FLIRTING FOR FIVE SECONDS AND GET IN THE FUCKING CAR” Stefan bellows out of the open driver’s window.

As Klaus takes her hand once more and uses his free one to open the SUV’s door for her and help into the back, Caroline beams at him.

Best night ever.


	2. Schadenfreude

“This is the best thing that has happened in the history of the human race” Kol crowed loudly, hopping from foot to foot, unable to take his eyes off of Klaus’ rainbow coloured features.  Although the break in his nose (courtesy of Caroline’s evidently past their best vintage heels) had healed beautifully, the bruising had yet to fade, going through a new shade every week. This week it was an un-fetching mixture of purplish yellow. Not even the trademark Klaus scowl can stop Kol’s tirade given that it’s a bit difficult to believe someone’s going to gouge your eyeballs from their sockets when they look like they’ve been hit in the face with Mjölnir.

“I thought I was the best thing that ever happened” teased Davina, his petite and out of league girlfriend from where she was curled up on the sofa, watching the scene unfold with exasperated fondness.

Without missing a beat, Kol retrieved his phone from the back pocket of his jeans and began lining up the camera to take a picture, dancing back a step or two when Klaus tries to stop him before replying in a surprisingly gentle tone “You’re the best thing about being _alive_ , darling” The declaration of love from someone as brash as Kol sounds all the more precious for its rarity. Certainly his siblings look as astonished by his change of pace as Caroline feels. Caroline’s only just met Kol, and she’s already wishing it had been him she’d smashed in the face. On purpose. With her fist. Rebekah, who lives in the penthouse with Kol and Freya, who Caroline knows is once again visiting, is standing behind him. Her arms are crossed but she’s drumming dark purple nails against her bare arm. Talking loudly over her brother, demanding that he sodding let them over the actual threshold before he starts. Kol acts like he can’t hear her and continues “When Bex told me that you’d taken up with a girl who _hit you in the face_ I must admit I thought Christmas had come early but seeing it in the flesh, this is _art_ ” he pauses for a moment, an open mouth smirk forming, a spark of the devil in his eyes she’s seen in Klaus more often than not. “Taking the sympathy vote to a new level Nik?”

Caroline sneaks a side-eye at Klaus beside her and is pleased to discover that he’s doing exactly the same to her only in a more beseechingly apologetic manner for inflicting his family on her. He’d done his best to brief her more elaborately on his family when she’d accepted Rebekah’s invite to lunch last week. Klaus had been putting his groceries away for dinner later when he’d asked her check his messages for him. _‘NIK’_ an articulate English voice had harangued down the line _‘I know how much you hate it when I voice my opinions but you really are being a sulky git about this. This is the fifth message I’ve left. When are you going to bring this new girl round? She punches you in the face, practically kidnaps you off to A &E and now I’m reduced to fodder for your voicemail. Stefan told me you couldn’t keep your hands off her but at least raise one to answer the bloody phone and let us know you’re alive. Bring her for lunch on Sunday. Everyone’ll be there. And a bottle of my favourite while you’re at it.” _The voice stops, evidently satisfied before adding a vehement ‘ _Wanke_ r’ for good measure. When she’d confronted Klaus about the fact that he hadn’t even mentioned that his family wanted to meet her, he’d abashedly explained that he was only trying to protect her.

Caroline had just pointedly eyed his nose and asked out of the two of them who really needed protecting. But he’d held firm, which was surprising especially when he’d said it would just be his siblings rather than his parents as well. Caroline gets out of the meet-the-parents moment a little easier given that her mom is miles away in her little home town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. It was only when Caroline had shrugged and said she’d go alone and could he be a lamb and tell her what Rebekah’s favourite vintage was that he’d caved.

So here they are, Klaus gripping a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite in one hand and Caroline’s hand in the other. While she’d taken his verbal pictures of each member who was present with a pinch of salt given that they hadn’t even made it through the doorway yet, Caroline was starting to think he had a point. Not that she’d tell him that. Maybe she’ll put it on his tombstone after she murders him for being infuriating; infuriatingly stubborn, charming and the best sex she’s ever had, paranoid son of a bitch.

 _Here lies Niklaus Ansel Mikaelson. Brother – Artist – Self righteous bastard. But he had a point._ Caroline feels her brow begin to furrow at this train of thought and instantly derails it. She refuses to be caught scowling at Kol, in case he thinks he’s got to her this early in the game. Instead she reviews her mental notes on this Mikaelson. She’d grilled Klaus and Stefan for information. She’s Caroline Forbes. Thoroughness is her middle name.  He’s a trickster, does whatever the hell he likes, the resident wild card. Klaus admits to having quite the temper but Kol reacts very randomly. His girlfriend Davina has been a more positive influence on him lately but that’s more him trying for her than her trying to exert any influence. The best way to deal with Kol is just tell him to go back to staring at himself but Klaus has already decided to take a different approach.

“Do shut up Kol or I’ll set Caroline on you” he responds easily, squeezing her fingers and rubbing his thumb in sweet circles on the back of her hand where Kol can’t see. They step into the main living space and without Kol in the way Caroline has a proper view of the room. Everyone’s there waiting and from the photographs Caroline recognises them all; Elijah, Freya, Bekah with Stefan, Marcel, Davina trying to pull Kol to sit with her.

 They’re all gorgeous and well-spoken like they’ve just stepped out of Vogue or something and she’s stood here in her favourite sundress being determined not to let it cow her. The impeccable manners and crisp speech are too polished on these Mikaelsons, particularly Elijah she thinks uncharitably as they’re introduced. She just knows they’re going to talk about her after they leave. Well. She knew that anyway but instead of flopping on the sofa or the floor in their socks with a couple of beers she’s sure they’ll be lounging prim as pokers with champagne flutes and criticising her clear inability to use the right salad fork even though there isn’t any fucking salad. They’re missing Klaus’ earthy carelessness, the gracious respect he gives to all he meets that exudes genuine class. He’s not always kind she’s learning (though God he tries) but he’s direct which she admires and speaks the truth when someone needs to hear it. They’re qualities she sees within herself and thinks that it’s better to just be honest with all she meets rather than trying so hard to impress people whom sometimes she just plain doesn’t like.

They’ve been a _thing_ for about a month now. Caroline refuses to call them a couple, it doesn’t fit right, it doesn’t feel significant enough to well signify her next big relationship. She can’t even bring herself to use the term boyfriend in general conversation. She can’t see Klaus as having ever been anyone’s boyfriend. He’s an old soul, with his bourbon and his paintings that even now seem to have something incredibly lonely about them. She may have mentioned this at the gallery show he’d told her about that day in the ER and he’d prissily asked if his work really was that literal. So there had been awesome I’m-proud-of-you-please-ignore-my-uncultured-remarks sex that night to make up for it instead. Even now his work speaks to her of yearning, a soul pleading for another.

And saying partner is too cold. Lover might be exotic enough but it always makes her think of candlelight and secret liaisons in stone passages but that could just be because she’s re-watching The Borgias again. Caroline had wondered how Klaus referenced her to his friends, which had been answered two weeks ago when the door to Kol and Rebekah’s penthouse had opened and Klaus had looked up from where he was chatting to Stefan and his friend Marcel, smiled just for her and said ‘Ah here’s my Caroline’

Part of her thought that maybe that should irritate her, potentially would irritate her if anyone else had referred to her as belonging to them. But Klaus was proving different from everything she could have expected in the best possible ways. She was beginning to realise that they truly had fallen into step with each other and that whatever paths they’d been on in life had converged seamlessly. That when he’d introduced her as his Caroline, he’d meant his love,  that he belonged with her alone. It’s a declaration of his devotion not an expectation of hers. See this is why she hates trying to contextualise what they have because it just brings on thoughts of all his exes and how they could have let him go. She may be from a small town but she’s not done too badly and he’s well, nobody could be that blind. She’s surprised she’s not tripping over the girls who surely must fling themselves at him given the way he acts and his face and she doesn’t think she’s mentioned his abs yet…

There’s a snapping sound and a flurry of movement right in front of her face. Caroline blinks, leaning away from the intrusion into her personal space to find Klaus snapping his fingers in front of her face looking worried. She must’ve zoned out.

 “And she’s back in the room. Where did you go there love?” he asks all soft voice and warm fingers, interlacing with her own. He’d known how worried she was to actually meet all of siblings after all.

Klaus kept his eyes locked with Caroline’s own, joy dancing playfully across her features, hoping against hope that if he just keeps looking at Caroline the outside world can be kept at bay.

“Brother!” comes Freya’s voice instead. The formality of the way they all address each other throws Caroline given the strong bonds she’s witnessed between the siblings. Some connections are obviously deeper forged than other – Klaus has a definite preference for his sisters, Kol prefers Klaus and Bekah over the others, Rebekah loves Elijah more than Klaus does and as far as she can see only Freya doesn’t detest the noticeably absent Finn, the eldest. But that’s probably because they’re twins. Caroline’s an only child but she’s seen a myriad of siblings in her short life and certain loved ones come to mind whenever the word kin is mentioned; Bonnie, Elena, Enzo. She supposes twins really do have to love each other because if you can’t love someone you shared a uterus with then you’re pretty far up the creek without a paddle. Then again, there’s all those cases of Vanishing Twin Syndrome so she can’t really confirm that hypothesis either.

 _Wait, where was I going with this?”_ she shakes her head, trying to remember what her actual observations about the Mikaelsons were. That was it! They love, deeply, fiercely, like a Pride. Yet they call each other Brother and Sister, their parents are Mother and Father. She wonders if it’s just yet another British thing, like the preference for tea and calling every cookie that wasn’t chocolate chip ‘biscuits’. Not to mention the ongoing feud she and Klaus have on the grocery list whenever he asks her to pick up paints for him and adds the ‘u’ so it’s colour instead of color. Caroline scribbles it out and rewrites the word the American way. If she’s not fast enough Klaus, when he spots it wordlessly changes it back to what he’d first called ‘original English, love’ with a smug wink. Charming Bastard. Thinks that wink gets him out of everything.

She will get him to cave first. She will.

At Freya’s gesture they take up residence on one of the sofas in the living room where everyone else has properly congregated for the Official Telling of how they met and the true integration of Caroline into the fold.

“When are you going to introduce dear Caroline to Mother and Father, Niklaus?”

“When they’re both safely entombed in the family crypt” Klaus shoots back with no real malice. Caroline expects a reprimand from any of the other children but none comes. Instead a silent salute of glasses is raised in acknowledgement. Even Stefan, Marcel and Davina are toasting their agreement. _Who the fuck are these people?_ She wonders, trying to remember stuff from the society pages, that they’re own children can hate them with such equal unity?

“The most twisted people to ever find each other on this Earth” comes one reply she doesn’t see from who.

“The Original Witch” pipes up Rebekah, closely followed by “and the Brutish Viking imbecile, were the words used by Aunt Dahlia” by Kol, sounding uncharacteristically harsh.

“And wasn’t she a ray of sunshine?” Freya adds darkly, a shadow passing over her face as she swills her tumbler of bourbon thoughtfully, perfect purple nails tapping agitatedly on the tumbler of bourbon she was swirling around.

“Essentially sweetheart,” Klaus says with solemn eyes “They are the biggest bastards to walk the earth and will one day, hopefully sooner rather than later, dethrone Satan in hell”

Well. That’s… damning.

“Niklaus” Elijah reprimards, clearly shocked that Klaus would dare to speak of their parents so candidly to an outsider (Caroline knew she didn’t like him) “Only God can judge” he smiles at Caroline in what she supposes was meant to be a reassuring sort of way.

“Oh yes” Klaus grins back feral like a wolf “But I take great pleasure in arranging the meetings”

Caroline can’t help but be surprised at the genuine note of hate in Klaus’ voice at his empty threat and quietly resolves that should she ever actually meet the feined Mikaelson patriarch and matriarch she will do so much more than elbow them in the face.

“Which is why we’re having a family dinner to which you are also invited darling” Kol’s voice has returned to its typical sunny turn as he clapped his hands, rubbing them together as he looks over at Caroline. The change in attitude would have been quite disturbing, rather than simply off putting if not for the way the others simply rolled their eyes. From what she’d seen thus far Kol simply enjoyed the title of Trouble-Maker to the maximum, Chaos given human form. Caroline clucked to herself at the aggrandising comparison, already knowing despite the brevity of their acquaintance how the reference would not only please Kol but probably encourage him as well. Far better to acknowledge him as unsympathetic little toe-rag and be done with it. The idea of having a meal with the evidently feared Mikaelson parents produced a series of groans and tuts from the majority at what was clearly a reminder.

For Caroline and Klaus, for whom this was apparently also the first time he’d heard of it, there were some wildly different reactions. Klaus looked up sharply, looking truly upset for the first time all day. Caroline has seen him get angry once or twice since they’ve been together but its often muted, angry taunting. This is outspoken and enraged on her behalf. Caroline squeaks out a bewildered ‘what?’ and wonders if she has vaguely suitable outfit for whatever obscenely extravagant spectacle she might be in for if that occurs.

“No” Klaus thunders immediately whereas Caroline decides to cover her bases and ask the ensemble as much as she can about what will be an eventuality. She could just agree with Klaus and they could just not meet the parents but even though she doesn’t see Liz that much, it wouldn’t feel right. She and her mom have actually got better since she moved out, and she knows that as much as Liz will worry about her, she’ll love Klaus. It would be as if they were hiding each other from the world, especially given his family’s status. She would like to avoid having a Sweet Home Alabama moment thank you. Caroline catches herself and realises she just thought about getting engaged to Klaus. Getting married to him. Moving in together. Whichever comes first but she wants that, can see that. And she knows somehow they’ll get there one day. However long it takes.

“We will not be attending and no-one will tell them the story of how we met.”

“Tell them? Oh no. No, I am going to turn it into a play and then perform it for them”

“Say another word and I’ll tear out your liver – Elijah notes the protectiveness of Klaus with growing interest. There have been few girls that Klaus has dated that all of the family have met. Despite his awareness of all Klaus longstanding relationships out of Aurora, Genevieve and Camille, Elijah had only met Aurora.

“Alright, alright, no need to get nasty about it” Kol retorted but much more mildly, looking relatively hurt by the threat rather than shrugging it off as the simple jibe he’d been expecting for his own empty taunt.

“On the contrary, I’ve found nastiness to be essential whenever my siblings try to sabotage me” Klaus returns in a more gentle tone of voice, having evidently realised how possessive that sounded.

That comment appears to Caroline to act as a signal to move events along to the actual meal itself. Perhaps that’s just life for the Mikaelsons, moving from one awkward scene to another like the Play That Goes Wrong. Bex, Freya and Davina sort of gracefully pounce on Caroline, ushering her off to set the table whilst the men faff about with the dinner because she and Freya are guests, Davina can’t cook and Bex refuses to whilst there are gourmet chefs in the world.

“Kol actually is a chef, and cooking has long been one of Elijah’s passions” Rebekah explains cheerfully, nails like talons in Caroline’s shoulder when she tries to get up to help. The meal when it comes is exquisite, and there actually is a goddamn salad in between the soup and venison followed by a sorbet and the homiest dish of the lot a pineapple upside down cake. Then a cheeseboard. Caroline hasn’t seen a cheeseboard since the practically weekly festivals and honorary days of Mystic Falls.

Perhaps this is actually something of a dress rehearsal for the Family Dinner she and Klaus are expected to attend in the near future. In which case, God bless Kol. Nevertheless, Klaus himself seems nonplussed about this level of dining which only confirms Caroline’s suspicions about growing up Mikaelson. Every time she catches his eye he just smiles softly, throwing the odd wink in which is lovely but what she really wants is Enzo she realises because then they could have a good eye-roll together. She did give it ago with Stefan but he just raised his eyebrows at her in that I-know-but-what-can-you-do kinda way. Marcel had seen her frustrated huff over Stefan’s lack of empathy and snorted into his wine glass.

They’re well and truly into  their cups at this point because (and why is she fucking surprised) but they actually do adhere to the fact that different dishes require separate wines and because there’s seven of them, there’s a litany of bottles clogging up the dining room table by this point. It’s then that Kol stands, raises his glass in a wordless toast, has to clutch Davina’s dining chair to stop himself swaying and announces grandly “Cards Against Humanity!”

A raucous cheer goes up and the lot of them troop back into the living space. It’s when Rebekah with a sudden serene countenance that would scare the living hell out of anyone remarks that if there is one drop of wine anywhere on her cream carpet that she will disembowel the lot of them and start a new life in Tuscany that the unanimous decision to switch to bourbon and beer is taken. Christ.

Caroline’s about to sneak off to the kitchen with Davina to grab some water under the guise of vodka because there’s no way she can drive home and she doesn’t want to puke in the taxi. However Klaus has different ideas. Appearing out of nowhere, he pulls her through a door and shuts it securely behind them.

“What-“ Caroline tries before Klaus pins her against the door, his lips fastening onto _that_ point on her neck.

“Sorry, sorry my love I just – just needed a minute. With you.”

“This family makes me want to murder people” Klaus sighs, long suffering, into her cheek. His thumbs are rubbing over her wrists and even though they’ve only been dating a month, she knows him enough to know he’s finding the strength to go back out there and put his mask back on. These are his siblings and they share a history Caroline doesn’t know and a bond she can barely understand. He isn’t hiding from them (apart from the literal sense) but he’s guarded, selfish, keeping this side of himself for her alone because she’s the one who makes him feel like this.

“I don’t get paid enough for this” he mutters, sounding a touch more human, ready to wade back into the drunken fray. Klaus silently thanks God for his cast iron liver courtesy of Kol, Marcel and Lucien and too many questionable decisions at university.

At Caroline’s confused quirk of eyebrows Klaus gestured at the bedroom door and muttered “Them”

“Do you want to go home?”

As if to prove his point, there’s a slurred shout of their names, followed by some general murmuring outside the door before Kol bellows “ARE YOU TWO HAVING SEX IN MY BED?”

Caroline’s nose scrunched up at the vulgarity. Klaus looked appealing to the ceiling.  Both of them kept silent, breathing in tandem just waiting for Kol to leave so they could continue working out their plan of escape.

“CONDOMS ARE IN THE RIGHT SIDE CUPBOARD”

It was Caroline’s turn to smile. “I know, I know” she murmured, raising her hands to softly cup Klaus’ face so that he looked back to her “You don’t get paid enough for this”

Klaus chuckled, the life coming back into his eyes little by little. That’s not good enough Caroline decides “Seriously though do you want me to use my elbow on him?”

Klaus laughs, throaty and full and everything that made Caroline glad she genuinely fell head over heels for him. Even taking Kol into account.

Caroline keeps her eyes fixed on Klaus’ face before she takes a deep breath and yells back “THERE’S A WORD FOR SOMEONE LIKE YOU”

“ROGUISH SEX GOD?”

“That’s three” Caroline mouths at Klaus who just laughs breathlessly and presses his lips together “SCHADENFREUDE”

There’s a pause as Kol digests the German. Klaus is nearly losing it, holding up his fingers to indicate how spot on the word sums up his brother. She's only know the younger man a few hours and she's already given him a new nickname.

“GESUNDHEIT! SEE I CAN DO IT TOO” he fires back causing Caroline to tap her elbow suggestively as Klaus bites his lip.

“WILL YOU THREE STOP SHOWING OFF AND COME GET YOUR TIRAMISU” screamed Rebekah from the living room. Giggling obscenely over how the whole evening has gone, Klaus and Caroline tumble out of the bedroom and drag Kol to the gaggle of relatives in the living room.

Sure enough Rebekah is passing out bowls and shotglasses (fucking hell how much do these people _drink?_ ) and glaring sympathetically at Stefan. He’s silently doing the eyebrow thing again. Freya’s leaning against Marcel, both propped up on the grey sofa. Davina, lying with her head in Marcel’s lap trips Kol up by the ankles so he lands on the three of them with a great deal of laughter and squawking. Elijah’s the only one actually sitting on a sofa, eying the Cards Against Humanity he’s been given with distaste though he has taken his tie off.

Klaus pulls Caroline down a little too hasty so that she lands in his lap causing an unmanly squeak that sets everyone off again. Just as the peals of laughter die, Caroline feels a feather light kiss in her blonde curls. _Thank you coming. Thank you for being here with me. I’m so glad this worked out._ And mutually she thinks, squeezing Klaus’ sinfully artistic fingers _I think I’ll keep you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Schadenfreude - german - pleasure derived from another person's misfortune
> 
> This started as a cute meet-the-family chapter and devolved into drunken crack-fic I don't know

**Author's Note:**

> I apologise for an inaccuracies - I'm English and live in the UK so I have no idea regarding mosh pits or American hospitals


End file.
